The Price of Sparrows

by Henry Morris, Ph.D. | Mar. 20, 2011

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." (Matthew 10:29)

This fascinating bit of first-century pricing information, seemingly so trivial, provides a marvelous glimpse into the heart of the Creator. Of all the birds used for food by the people of those days, sparrows were the cheapest on the market, costing only a farthing for a pair of them. In fact, they cost even less in a larger quantity, for on another occasion Jesus said: "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?" (Luke 12:6). The "farthing" was a tiny copper coin of very small value, so that a sparrow was all but worthless in human terms.

And yet the Lord Jesus said that God knows and cares about every single sparrow! God had a reason for everything He created; each kind of animal has its own unique design for its own intended purpose. Modern biologists continue to waste time and talent developing imaginary tales about how all these multitudes of different kinds of creatures might have evolved from some common ancestor. Even some evolutionists have started calling these whimsical tales "just so" stories. They would really be better scientists if they would seek to understand the creative purpose of each creature, rather than speculating on its imaginary evolution.

The better we comprehend the amazing complexity and purposive design of each creature, the better we realize the infinite wisdom and power of their Creator. Then, all the more wonderful it is to learn that their Creator is our Father! He has placed them all under our dominion, and we need to learn to see them through His eyes, if we would be good stewards of the world He has committed to us. We can also thank our heavenly Father that we "are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:31). HMM

Institute for Creation Research

Keep Meditating on the Promises of God

Be Thou Perfect

By N. Daniel

www.lefi.org

“And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre:” (Read Genesis 18:1-33)

Evidently three men were walking by in front of the tent of Abraham. When Abraham saw them, he ran to meet them. Abraham was watching. He was not spiritually sleeping. He was cautioned about three months ago. “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” (Genesis 17:1) God had great purposes for Abraham but they could not be fulfilled, unless he met Him constantly. He was lifted higher with each meeting with God. 

God may demand greater self-denial. Self prevents the best in you from being multiplied by God to live the life of a thousand, in usefulness. Every time God meets us, the self-dying increases. Now God was walking before Abraham's house. In those days when men were more innocent, they could see angels. When revival broke out in Kakinada (a town in Andhra Pradesh), people saw Christ in their homes. If the atmosphere is suitable and pure, God can meet us. After the resurrection, people saw the saints in Jerusalem. God came to see Abraham nine months before he became a father. 

God wanted to see if Abraham had taken His warning given three months ago. Abraham had taken the warning and was improving. Abraham must have been meditating at that time. He was not worried about the servants and property. Otherwise he could not have seen God. In the time of our meditation, God wants to meet us and speak to us. But you are too much taken up with the world and the gains of the world. Abraham ran and met God and besought him to come into his house and dine. He called a young man and asked him to prepare a fatted calf. That was the honor given to distinguished guests in those days. The angels talked to him about God's promise given to him. What have you done with the promises God has given you? Have you lost them? If you love God, you will love His promises also. 

If you give time for your morning watch grudgingly and serve the Lord half-heartedly, how can God bless you? God was on His way to destroy two great cities. But before that, Abraham began to plead with God. Let our fellowship with God be such that God will share His most intimate problems with us. It was not a pleasure for God to destroy those cities. If there was any hope of improvement, He would never have done it. There was no one to tell them and it was full of sin. There was only one self-righteous man in it. 

Is God a destroying agent? No. Evil destroys itself. It is so ordered of God. Would you wish it otherwise? Wickedness destroys itself. I know my classmates who yielded to sin. They are already dead. They destroyed themselves. Sin destroys itself. But it should not destroy you and me. We belong to God. He says, “You are my witness.” “Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he:…” (Isaiah 43:10) 

The work of salvation-saving men-is given to you and to me. “Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.” (Acts 10:32) The angel came to Cornelius, but did not give the gospel. The angel said, “Send for Simon Peter and he will help you.” This work of saving men is not even given to angels. But it is given to us.

God's Revelation about Himself and Ourself is Salvation

“Real Revelation”

By N. Daniel

www.lefi.org

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."

(Hebrews 5:12)

Salvation depends on revelation. When your own nature is revealed to you, you repent. The more you dig into your nature, the more you find out that your nature is undependable, and that it is dangerous for your life and for those that depend on you. When God's revelation comes to you, you not only know the wretchedness of your condition but also the purpose of God in creating you. If you really progress in the correct direction, you will call God as your 'Father'. You will hallow His name. You will wish for His kingdom to come and that His will may be done in your life. As angels haste to do God's will, you also will wish that His will may be done on earth. But, there is a drive in you that makes you run counter to God's will. That is the deceitfulness of your heart. Man chooses to run after sin and the heart becomes even more deceitful. Such evil is in our blood. "In sin did my mother conceive me." It means she had a body of sin, with sinful emotions. "Create in me a clean heart", is the prayer of a Christian.

When by faith you obey the first principles of the gospel, you feel the joy of salvation. But your old nature tries to woo you back into the life of sin. People who never had a revelation from God, mock at Christian life. The beginning of salvation is by revelation. Christianity was not something that originated in man. It was revelation. But Buddhism originated in man, and it teaches a man to kill his instincts. It does not lead one anywhere. When revelation came to St. Paul, he knew that there was nothing good in him. Next he had further revelation and said, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Then by revelation he was attracted to the Cross. Sorrow for sin makes you to see in the Cross the great power that lifts you. You were self-centered once. But now that self- centeredness gives place to concern for others. You are saved and you seek to save others. As you seek to save others, you see that there are hindering forces in you and you humble yourself further and seek God's help. You grow humbler and humbler. If you do not seek to save others, it means there is something wrong in you. If you cannot help even those you love, what is the use of your life? You love your children; but are you able to give them anything lasting? If not, your love is not true love. Once a small child began to swallow some pills which were within her reach. The mother did not bother to stop it. The child came nigh to death. They treated her and saved her life, but those pills which she had swallowed created a permanent weakness in her. Was this true love?

When I was a student, God used to give me a message everyday and I used to give others that message when I was prompted to do so. One day God gave me a message, and on my way back from prayer I saw a group of carpenters. I sat with them and gave them the message. One of them got converted and became a preacher of the gospel. Have you got a message for others? Or are you still drinking milk? If you are able to eat meat, you will have strength to feed others. When you are eating meat, you are always ready to give a message to others. Many young people were saved when I gave my witness to them as a student, because I gave it with all my heart and with a clean heart. Can't we have victory over the love of money? Can't we have victory over selfishness? We can! It is possible!

The Great Path Maker

“The Lord Delivers Us from Bondage”

By Joshua Daniel

www.lefi.org

"I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters." (Isaiah 43:15,16)

This is how the Lord describes Himself. To be the redeemer of the people of Israel, the Lord had a way for them right through the sea. He showed that Pharaoh was no longer their king. When Pharaoh was their king, they had to bear a great burden. They were under hard task-masters. They wanted deliverance.

The devil knows the areas in which he can oppress us with the maximum pain. He does not normally inflict pain, which is easy to bear. He creates pain and oppression in that area, where you are most pained thereby inflicting huge loss and damage.

Who is a redeemer? One who delivers you in that area where you are a captive. Certain thoughts are very strong. Oh, you put them out of your mind but they come back again. They chase you. They persist in pursuing you. You cannot run away from them. You may cross the oceans but the thoughts are still there. The devil oppresses many people with wrong thoughts. They are weakened. So there is no rest for them. That is not the work of God. God's thoughts are strengthening, ennobling and freeing.

Very often we do not see the difference between our thoughts and God's thoughts, because of the spirit of perversity. That is why the Bible says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man." (Proverbs 14:12 ) You say, "My thought is right!" "My plan is right!" "My ways are right!" No! No! You must know how to go to God, who searcheth your heart, and weigheth your spirit, to know whether this is a perverse spirit or the spirit of God. This perverse spirit can be a very strong spirit. It can afflict the whole family. It seems to afflict father, mother, sons and daughters. It makes it impossible to see what is right and what is wrong. The spirit of perversity is always to be found wherever there is idolatry. This perverse spirit is also found where Christians make an idol of something. I can detect this spirit very well.

"The Lord delivered them from all their oppressions," says the Word of God. But their nature of grumbling was still persisting for forty years. There remained in Israel the spirit of unbelief in the face of daily miracles for forty long years.

But the Lord was trying to make a way for them. Right from the start, it was a way in the wilderness. When they came out of Egypt, they came against the sea. When you come against a forest, you ask somebody, "Is there a path through this?" But when you stand by the shore of a mighty sea, you never ask such a question. But God says, "I am the God, who maketh a path in the mighty waters". When you see the mighty waters before you, you tend to get fearful. I do not think in the Christian life, there is ever a person, who does not confront mighty waters some time or other.

I look to the one who alone can make this path. To many of you in your personal lives there may be the desire for sanctification. But somehow, it is slipping away. Somehow you seem to fail. Some evil thoughts still prevail. Some anger, some wicked and covetous desire, some bitterness or some lust is lurking somewhere in the heart. The mighty waters are before you. But what does God say to you? "I am the Lord, who maketh a path through the mighty waters." May be, you are despairing about your condition. No, these mighty waters are going to divide by a clear path of victory.